2 NBCC CEs • October 22, 2026 • $150
Live Course with Kelsey Ashe, RRC, ACS
0-5 PDA in the Early Years:
Hidden in Plain Sight
About this course:
PDA (Pathological Demand Avoidance) is a neurotype present from birth — yet it is frequently missed, misunderstood, or dismissed in the earliest years of life. For children aged 0–5, the signs can be subtle, complex, and often misread as "temper tantrums" rather than what they truly are: a nervous system seeking safety.
Early recognition changes everything.
In this workshop, we explore how to identify PDA traits in children before school age, so that carers and professionals can respond with understanding from the very beginning. Developed and facilitated by a Registered Clinical Counsellor and neurodivergent parent of two PDA children, this course brings together lived experience and practical knowledge to help you:
Recognize early signs of PDA in children aged 0–5
Understand the nervous system needs beneath the behavior
Build a supportive, aligned environment and team
Honor the child's sensitive system — early and often
Children's rights are human rights. Every child deserves to be seen, understood, and supported to be exactly who they are meant to be.
What’s Included:
2 hour live session with Q&A
slides & resources
2 NBCC CE hours*
Price: $150 for LIVE
$120 for On Demand
Join us LIVE on July 20th
Objectives
Participants will be able to…
Assess a child or caregiver’s expression of a child to identify signs of a PDAer who is 0-5 years old.
Discuss with a family and/or care team your findings and co-create a supportive plan for the PDAer and family.
This course will cover…
What is and isn't PDA?
How might a PDA toddler seek safety?
The importance of working with families and personal stories from my 2 and 4 year old's PDA experience in their own words
Meet the Instructor
Kelsey Ashe, RRC, ACS
Hi, I'm Kelsey — a clinical counsellor based in BC, Canada, with nearly 20 years in the mental health field and close to 10 years in clinical practice. I am a late-identified AuDHDer and the parent of two young PDAers. I bring both lived experience and clinical knowledge to everything I do — and I believe that combination matters deeply. I hold a profound belief in the brilliance and tenderness at the core of every PDA person. Those who get to co-create safety alongside them know what I mean — there is something truly remarkable about witnessing a PDAer's light when they feel safe enough to let it shine. My clinical work is rooted in the intersection of trauma and neurodiversity. I am passionate about supporting people to heal from the weight of unrecognized or unresolved trauma, discover and understand who they truly are and build lives that are genuinely aligned with their nervous systems and their needs I also work closely with families — helping parents and caregivers better understand their tender little ones, and collaboratively building home environments that honour and support every member of the family.